Are you entitled to time off work on Easter Monday?

While it is customary for an employer to give staff a day off it is not a statutory requirement and derives solely from their contract with their employer. According to the Employment Rights Act 1996 all employees should receive a written statement relating to “holidays, including public holidays, and holiday pay”.

However, depending on the industry, should an employer not agree to give time off he/she would likely find large swathes of the workforce leaving for the door on a more permanent basis!

Some types of business and industry lend themselves more readily to opening on a bank holiday though such as retail, travel, leisure, and healthcare simply given the free time people have on that day. For example families may go out for a meal, to the cinema and take a trip on public transport. Bank holidays would be ever so dull if everything was closed.

So, the answer is both yes and no. Yes, it is highly likely your employer will grant you paid leave, but no, you are not entitled to it by law.